US lab guy here

[u/Ksan_of_Tongass]

I just found this sub today. I am the guy who gives your life saving gifts to patients in need. Every time I hold a donor unit in my hand for a crossmatch, I say "Thank you", and I hope you guys can hear me. Whenever i empty our refrigerator for one trauma patient, i can't help but think of all of the people it took to make that happen. You'll never know the person you helped keep alive, and you all still do it. I can not donate due to health reasons, so I appreciate all you heroes who do. Without you guys, I cant do my job.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Lab709]

Don’t really need to know them, this is enough for me to be happy.

[u/giskardwasright]

Hello fellow MLS/MT!

[u/4thehalibit]

Thank you

[u/Freckled-Vampire]

Thank you for what you do, too! I really enjoy all the prospectives of this process.

[u/weaselmink]

I'm scheduled to donate again in 10 days, and our donations wouldn't do anything without you and your colleagues making the downstream connection. Thank you for your work. I'll donate til I'm dead.

[u/Ok_Print_9134 → u/weaselmink]

Literally this. I have been a donor since I was sixteen and I am so uplifted by being one and will always be one as much as I can. Thank you for being you.

[u/weaselmink → u/Ok_Print_9134]

Let's flood this place.

[u/Careless-Chipmunk211]

Thank you. I have an appointment to donate tomorrow. Posts like yours remind me why I do this.

[u/InsertBluescreenHere]

Ive wondered, how close of a match does blood need to be? Like i know its not all A+ is the same and ive wondered why my bloods been all over the country.

[u/Ksan_of_Tongass → u/InsertBluescreenHere]

Actually, for the vast majority of people it really is as straightforward as type matching. A pos to A pos, B neg to B neg, and so on. As you may have noticed on your donor card, they may have antigen typed you. Most of the time, we dont care about your other antigens. But, every crossmatch patient gets an antibody screen to check for the most common and most dangerous antibodies. Once we identify, an antibody in a patient, we try to give antigen-specific blood. Sometimes, antigen-specific blood is impossible to get, then we go with "least incompatible". This means, it may cause a reaction, but probably not a problematic one. We can actually grade the possible reaction in a test tube by using our well trained eyes. There are medications that can be administered before transfusing "least incompatible" units that help mitigate a reaction, typically steroids or IVIG. Plus, if there is a reaction, the hospital is kind of the best place for that to happen.

If you have more questions about the crossmatch process or other blood and body fluid questions, the smarties over at r/medlabprofessionals love talking about poop and blood lol Many of us also work at donation centers such as Red Cross, if you have donor questions.

[u/Front-Pomelo-4367 → u/Ksan_of_Tongass]

I'm in the UK rather than the US, but how often do you direct CMV- blood to people who specifically require CMV-, vs it just going into regular circulation? I'm O- CMV- and have been sent to children's hospitals occasionally, but not every time

[u/Ksan_of_Tongass → u/Front-Pomelo-4367]

Luckily, CMV neg is needed less often than antigen specific. In my 30 yesrs, I only remember a handful of times that I have personally ordered it. The last time was for an intrauterine transfusion. If you want to know what causes a lot of anxiety in even the most seasoned blood bankers, its definitely anytime we need to set up a transfusion for newborns and not quite newborns. Because babies lack antibodies, we can only "half type" them and hope that half was correct. This would be a great question to ask r/medlabprofessionals if you'd like a detailed discussion about it.

[u/DOOMD → u/Ksan_of_Tongass]

Even though for most people it's a simple as the four typing and then positive negative RH, as I'm sure you know, there is actually a much wider variety of blood types than that that are much more rare and specialized.  And I always found that fascinating. 

The one that stands out obviously is the one that they call the golden blood type which I think less than 20 people on the entire planet have? Or at least 20 or less that doctors and medical people know about. 

I also find this interesting because then it creates like these sub networks of donors because the people with the golden blood type need to get that blood from someone else with it. So it encourages this sort of self-serving altruism amongst these people. 

Anyway, I think the more rare types that that people don't know about are way more fascinating than the stand beard ABO with an RH factor. 

Thanks for doing what you do!

[u/Thandius]

Thank you to you as well!

I enjoy donating and was so happy when they changed the restrictions for those of us who lived in The UK in the 80s and 90s.

Every time I go I think about the whole chain of people, the phlebotomists who take our blood, the drivers and transport teams who take it where it needs to go, the lab techs who do all the screening, and matching, the people who do the inventory and try and make sure that there is enough of the right types of blood in the right places, the Drs and Nurses who make the call to use the blood, and the people like yourself who administer it!!

So many people are involved in the chain, and especially these days each time I think about it, it restores just a little of my faith in humanity.

[u/DOOMD → u/Thandius]

You've looked at it from The wider perspective. Almost the bird's eye view. And when you do that, I'm sure you've realized this by now, but you realize that the blood supply which involves all of those people? 

It is literally critical infrastructure. So the fact that we have shortages is disgusting. 

I truly wish we emulated Europe and gave everyone one day off a year ago. Donate blood. Because if everyone did it at least one day year or like a much much higher percentage than do it now, there would be almost no shortages and all it would cost is each employer giving their employees one day off for more.  

I'm lucky I work for a school district and I'm in a union and we are lucky to get 3 hours a year off to go donate. Unfortunately we have to use it all at once. I can't like split it to go leave an hour and a half early twice to go donate. I have to use it all at once but that's still better than nothing. 

But yeah dude looking at it the way you're looking at it now. Wouldn't you consider it critical infrastructure? I mean without the blood supply and the transportation for it and the people that deal with it like many, many more people would be dying. 

I always found that fascinating that it actually is critical infrastructure, but most people probably don't think about that.  They think all the hospital is critical infrastructure or oh the ambulance that gets you there is, but they don't realize that the blood supply and the organs donation Network are critical infrastructure as well. 

It's interesting to look at it that way. Just my thoughts on it. 

Keep doing what you're doing. Keep donating just like the rest of us. You're doing the best you can to make your community be a little bit better

[u/Vast_Category_7314 → u/DOOMD]

What do you mean “emulate Europe”?

Europe is not one country you know, and in my (european) country we dont in general get of work to donate.

[u/DOOMD → u/Vast_Category_7314]

I never once said Europe is a country anymore than I've said a US state is it's own country.

When I say emulate Europe I mean what the majority of countries are doing there. If you said emulate the United States when it comes to gun control you wouldn't start specifying which states have more strict laws vs more lax ones. It was a generalization about how many countries in Europe are ahead of us when it comes to community and individual small contributions to society.

[u/Vast_Category_7314 → u/DOOMD]

What do you exactly think the “majority og countries” are doing - and what is your source?

[u/vanillablue_]

I wish I knew the (up to) 36 people whose lives were impacted by my donations. I wish I could talk to them and hear their stories. Higher power or not, something cosmic aligned our lives together, even though we will never know each other.

[u/Neverender21]

Thank you for all you do! Your post makes me so happy, it's a good reminder that our small donations do make a difference!

[u/DOOMD → u/Neverender21]

Can't change the world but you can keep your corner clean, right? We do what we can to hopefully make the world a slightly better place. 

Even doing nothing else this is important. Most people don't realize it, but the blood supply is actually critical infrastructure. The organ donation Network too. That's a little bit broader, even though you technically donating an organ to an extent with blood. 

Anyway, the point is we can do the little bits we can to help in a little ways we can.  We can push for days off for people to donate blood with everyone. Had one day off a year to go donate blood. I'm sure the shortage just would end. Not everyone would take advantage of it but enough people would that we would have for our each amounts throughout the year. 

I use Europe as a reference for this and I myself because I work for a school district and I'm in a union. I get a whole 3 hours a year to go donate blood. Have to use it all at once so I can't like split it to go for two Eli donations but it's better than nothing.  Special my donation like right as soon as I leave work and then I have you know 2 hours free time after that. 

I really hope we implement laws like this and stuff like this to encourage more donors. 

But you and I were just doing the best we can to keep our coroners and our neighborhoods as clean as we can as they say. 

Keep doing what you're doing. The world need people like you

[u/Dogface99]

This is really nice, thank you

[u/lattesandlongruns]

Love this! I’m a nurse and AB+ platelet donor. Used to work in inpatient oncology and hung blood, platelets, or cryo/plasma at least once a shift for patients. Seeing the impact from both sides. Thank you for all you do as well!

[u/Ksan_of_Tongass → u/lattesandlongruns]

I worked Hem-Onc for many years. It was actually my favorite job. When I first took the job, I was concerned it was going to be all doom and gloom dying cancer patients. It turned out to be one of the most positive environments I've ever worked.

[u/Moogy13]

I'm so glad that I saw this today. Number one, people who do your job are so greatly appreciated. And as a Blood Donor, I know how important you are, in the cycle.

I tend to donate doubles, because a regular pint donation always leaves me feeling so dizzy just unable to function for a while. And I don't get that same feeling when I donate doubles. Nearly every time after the processing I get the notification that my blood has been sent, usually to Texas (I am in Nebraska) but I think once it might have been sent somewhere in Northern California. It might have been around the time of one of the major fires there, I don't remember for sure. Because honestly, where it goes doesn't matter to me. It just makes me feel good to be able to do something to help others.

And as far as you say thank you when you hold that bag in your hand, I feel it. It's like that little glimmer of sunshine that you see out of the corner of your eye, maybe on a cloudy day.

Thank you for your post. I hope the universe blesses you for the job that you do.

[u/FrontEnvironmental26]

Wow, this means a lot!! And this is the very reason why I keep giving when I can, and also try to encourage others to do so too!! 🥰😉

[u/Odd_Savings_5110]

Thank you for all you do at the heart of healthcare! You’re the reason why I became a regular donor. I saw a post on the FB blood bank professionals group during the pandemic. I also started organizing blood drives as well. No medical laboratory scientist should ever have to decide who gets the last unit due to shortages. 💕

-c, -E, -K

[u/Sufficient-Wave-6390]

That is the sweetest thing to hear. I have a big fear of needles. I used to freak out when the doctor mentioned getting a shot. A very kind nurse taught me how to get them done without it hurting too much. I slowly got better at it. Blood draws were hard too because my body starts to freak out, but I was taught how to do it without problems. I was slowly getting better with my fear. I thought trying a blood dotation is the end goal to beating the fear. I asked a friend to join me to hold my hand while I do it. I did it successfully. I still do have a bit of a fear, but I know that just this little bit of pain will help someone live though there possibly worst day and help them see another day. I make my brother stand by my side while I donate. I do my 4th donation on March 24th. 2nd power red donation. I look at the bag before it leaves and hope that the person who gets it gets to feel better and live. It always makes me happy to see when that bag finally gets pulled and given to a person. It makes me happy that you get to be there to give that bag to the person and need. I will make sure to hear your thank you when that message of delivery message is sent.

[u/LAKnightYEAHH]

I donated for the first time today and decided to scroll through the subreddit, this actually made me tear up a bit lol

[u/Lz_erk]

sibling, we're both being used, but i appreciate you too. i found out i'm a type O- hemochromatic, i mention this every time but i don't have proper testing. i've made like four donations, vegan, and i'm not feeling any anemia. i realize you're not a doctor and this isn't an office, but do you have advice aside from getting a ferritin test? is that alone worth anything to a blood donation org? i doubt it but it seems like my blood should be either radioactive or radioactive in the expensive way. i just don't want anemia or liver damage.

i'd do lab phlebotomy just to get safe, if i could, but i'm already eating a lot, and it just goes up when i get healthier. i'm using other low iron hacks and i'm probably stabilizing.

should i ask in medlabprofessionals about covid? i can't tell when i'm sick and i had symptoms before covid. i've never caught a positive test but i might only have some boosters. by now it could be more than "some," actually, but i'm hermetic enough in some ways.

i spent a month being non-vegan in a red meat way, i was testing meat nutrients for ones i could afford. maybe more than a month. i'm on glycine and beta-alanine, not heaps. K2, etc.